cav551:
A query on the prof forum interested me. How to get across London to a surrounding county? So on a stormy Sunday morning how did we get across various cities, or even to them 40, 50 or more years ago before the full Motorway network and traffic bans made them more or less obsolete? I’ve come up with half a dozen alternatives relevant today to the OP’s query.viewtopic.php?f=2&t=163910#p2650991
To kick off for the 1970’s I’ll begin with another from Kent to the M1 Starting from the A2 Sun in the Sands which of course offerred an alternative over Blackheath.
M 102 A102 to Blackwall Tunnel (assuming height OK) under the river and A 102 Tunnel Approach to the M102 just north of the railway bridge at Bow. Off at Old Ford onto Wick rd alongside Victoria Park,1st right Brookfield rd to the lights. Left Wick rd/ Morning Lane to the lights and right onto Mare st. Then 50yds left at lights onto Graham rd, over lights and onto Dalston Lane, again Balls Pond rd/St Pauls rd and more sets of lights to Highbury Corner. 3rd exit A1 Holloway rd, over several lights and crossing over Seven Sisters rd to Archway r/a. Up A1 Archway/… Falloden Way to the North Circular cross over the Finchley rd and fork right at the lights to rejoin the A1 again Great North rd which ran onto the M1 just before Scratchwood Services… and you were on your way.
I used the route from the Blackwall tunnel regularly in the seventies and eighties, up through Old Ford ( I think there was a low bridge here) via Bow and Balls Pond Road to Highbury Corner and Archway. I changed my job mid eighties and didn’t spend much time in the London area for quite a few years after that. In the Noughties I was an O/D. working for a shipping line, I needed to get to across from Holloway to Charlton so I thought yes, Highbury Corner, Balls Pond Road etc. to the Tunnel. Big mistake! I couldn’t remember the bloody route 
how I got to Charlton I’ll never know 
needless to say I didn’t try to do the same route in reverse.
. I dread to think of having to navigate around there now. Regards Kev.